3843 replies to this topic

[A Girl is No one]

Notice the government article never says “overdose”.

Right, because the narrative is that doing illicit drugs is not bad (we don’t want to stigmatize drug use), it’s just that the non-government provided drugs are less healthy (/c). We need government to provide « safe » drugs.

[Victoria Watcher]

Notice the government article never says “overdose”.

 

 

Cap Daily today (at least they used "overdose" interchangeably):

 

 

 

BC reports more drug poisoning deaths in first 10 months of 2021 than any prior year

One hundred and ten people in Victoria died of drug poisoning in the first 10 months of 2021, according to the latest report from the BC Coroners Service. Across BC, 1,782 people lost their lives to the overdose crisis as of October 2021—already making it the deadliest year on record—and 201 people died in October alone, marking the most deaths in a month since the overdose crisis was declared a public health emergency in 2016. Around 6 people died of drug poisoning every day in October.

"I cannot stress enough how urgent this emergency has become," chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said Thursday. "A comprehensive plan to ensure access to safe supply for the thousands of BC residents dependent on these substances is essential."

Safe supply is also something Sheila Malcolmson, minister of mental health and addictions, said is crucial in a separate press conference. She pointed out that fentanyl, which was present in 5% of overdose deaths in 2012, is now found in 85% of deaths, proving the presence of an increasingly toxic street supply.

Despite this acknowledgment, there remains no widespread, provincewide policies to ensure barrier-free access to safe supply despite five years of drug poisoning deaths. As a result, Lapointe said, the crisis "has gotten worse and worse and worse."

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 10 December 2021 - 08:52 AM.

[Nparker]

...the narrative is that doing illicit drugs is not bad (we don’t want to stigmatize drug use)...

Unless that drug is tobacco, then stigmatizing is encouraged.

[kitty surprise]

These articles are just safe supply propaganda until they can show per capita deaths.

Please don't insult our intelligence. We know government policies induced demand so the population of users in the province is increasing daily.

So when they cry about the increasing deaths, until we know per capita, it's really a meaningless data point. For all we know, deaths per capita could be down.

Edited by kitty surprise, 10 December 2021 - 09:09 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

[Victoria Watcher]

These articles are just safe supply propaganda until they can show per capita deaths.

Please don't insult our intelligence. We know government policies induced demand so the population of users in the province is increasing daily.

So when they cry about the increasing deaths, until we know per capita, it's really a meaningless data point. For all we know, deaths per capita could be down.

 

Do you mean per capita measuring the users total?  As the per capita, rather than the population in general? 

[Nparker]

It would appear things have become much worse since safe consumption sites were established.

[Mike K.]

So solve to the issue, judges are now letting fentanyl dealers walk in lieu of going to jail?

 

I've said this for years, and have had multiple people tell me I was wrong. But we can clearly see now that there is demand for fentanyl and carfentanil in the drug supply. Until that demand goes away, people are going to keep dying.

[LJ]

So solve to the issue, judges are now letting fentanyl dealers walk in lieu of going to jail?

 

I've said this for years, and have had multiple people tell me I was wrong. But we can clearly see now that there is demand for fentanyl and carfentanil in the drug supply. Until that demand goes away, people are going to keep dying.

Maybe we could try the New Zealand approach, no one 14 years and younger can use any drugs, eventually all the older drug users will die and we will have the problem solved.

It's going to work for smoking, right?

[pontcanna]

Psychiatrist suspended for two months by College

 

Times Colonist, December 16, 2021

•  

A Victoria psychiatrist has been suspended from practising for two months and formally reprimanded by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. for acting beyond her scope of practice and hiring patients as employees.

 

In a consent agreement reached with the College following an inquiry, Dr. Yil-Kyong Brenda Copen acknowledged she prescribed medication and provided medical care to an employee outside of her regular scope of practice and was complicit in the hiring of patients to work at her clinic and for her private businesses unrelated to her clinical practice.

 

More: https://www.timescol...urgeons-4870268

[Mike K.]

Courtnall brothers launch society to support Mental Health in BC and across Canada

For Immediate Release – December 16, 2021 (VICTORIA, BC) - Building on the success of a series of the star-studded events held in Victoria that raised over $3 million in 2003, 2004 and 2011, brothers Geoff, Russ, and Bruce Courtnall are once again mobilizing their efforts to support mental health.

Today marks the formal launch of the Courtnall Society for Mental Health (CSMH), a fundraising organization that will provide grants to support the capacities of grassroots mental health organizations - not only in their hometown of Victoria - but across the country.

“This is a great day for us to realize something that has been in the works for a few years,” said Geoff Courtnall. “Our past events made it possible to leave a legacy for our dad with the naming of the Archie Courtnall Centre at Victoria’s Royal Jubilee Hospital, as well as providing equipment for the Patient Care Centre.”

Motivated in part by their personal experience, the Courtnall‘s know firsthand the impact of the toll of mental health struggles all too well. It was in 1978 when, after a long, difficult battle with depression, the family lost their dad Archie to suicide. Moving forward, the focus of CSMH’s fundraising efforts will be to provide grants to grassroots organizations doing vital work through programs and initiatives that support individuals with mental health challenges.

“The Courtnall Society for Mental Health is not a service provider,” said Shannon Drew, CSMH Executive Director. “We want to help support the dedicated organizations working in our communities so that they can focus on what matters most - the mental health services they provide to the people in need.”

“With grants, made possible through our fundraising efforts, partners and donors,” says Bruce Courtnall. “We look to strengthen the community organizations that are often the first point of contact for those reaching out for help.”

The Courtnall Society for Mental Health has identified four pillars that they will use to guide their grants: Children & Youth, Suicide Prevention, Substance Use and Community Integration.

Under the Children & Youth pillar, CSMH recently made a grant to a Victoria-based organization called Buddy Check For Jesse (BCFJ), founded by local sports physician Stu Gershman. Geared towards coaches and their teams, BCFJ reminds us to start a conversation and "check in" with our friends, teammates, family members and even with ourselves.

Thirteen-year-old Owen Goulet understands how important it is to have support for programs like Buddy Check and is thankful that it was brought to his attention during a hockey team meeting. Owen suffers from panic disorder, anxiety and depression and although he rarely worried about talking about his illnesses, the Buddy Check for Jesse talk provided him with a new platform to open up conversations about his own mental health. That day in a locker room, where his teammates were encouraged to check in on one another by his coach, bolstered Owen's confidence in sharing his story and made him feel less alone when it came to his and others' mental health.

"It's okay to struggle, you're not alone,” said Owen. “Talking about your own struggles will give others the confidence to also share how they're feeling - and that could cause a chain reaction where even more people reach out for help."

Despite living in different cities - Geoff lives in Vancouver, Bruce in Victoria and Russ is in Los Angeles – the Courtnall brothers are all on the same page about their intentions to help. Mental health struggles like severe anxiety and depression, overdose and suicides are more prevalent than ever as we continue to navigate the on-going pandemic. 
 


“Mental health involves how we think, feel, act and interact with others,” said Russ Courtnall. “It’s important at every life stage, from childhood through to adulthood - and everyone deserves support and an opportunity to feel their best.”


[Nparker]

Good for the Courtnalls.

 

The current mental health system, at least in BC, is pathetic and woefully under supported.

[A Girl is No one]

This sounds wonderful and exciting! Bravo to these brothers. And I like that the help will be taking place all over the country not just Victoria.

Edited by A Girl is No one, 16 December 2021 - 02:47 PM.

[Nparker]

This sounds wonderful and exciting! Bravo to these brothers. And I like that the help will be taking place all over the country not just Victoria.

Victoria may be beyond help. Besides we prefer to help our mentally ill by electing (and re-electing) them to public office.

Edited by Nparker, 16 December 2021 - 03:13 PM.

[pontcanna]

So husband and wife psychiatrists have now been suspended by the College:

 

Dr. COPEN, John Victor William Victoria, BC

 

1. Nature of action: The Inquiry Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (the College) conducted an investigation into the conduct of Dr. John Victor William Copen, pursuant to section 33(1) of the Health Professions Act, RSBC 1996, c.183. The Inquiry Committee and Dr. J. Copen have agreed to resolve all matters arising from the investigation by way of a Consent Agreement under section 37.1(3)(a) of the Health Professions Act.

 

2. Effective date: December 2, 2021

 

3. Name of registrant: Dr. John Victor William Copen

 

4. Location of practice: Victoria, BC

 

5. Admission and acknowledgements: Dr. J. Copen has admitted and/or acknowledged the following: a. That he breached his professional obligations as a physician to act in the best interest of his patients when he hired patients to work in his clinic and in private businesses unrelated to his clinical practice, as well as when he offered to prescribe medication to an employee.

 

6. Disposition: Following the authorization of a disciplinary citation pursuant to section 37 of the Health Professions Act, Dr. J. Copen entered into a Consent Agreement with the Inquiry Committee of the College, wherein he has consented to the following terms, pursuant to section 39(2) of the Health Professions Act:

 

a. Transfer from the Full – Specialty class of registration to the Conditional – Disciplined class of registration;

b. A formal reprimand;

c. A suspension from the practice of medicine for two months;

d. Completion of a multi-disciplinary assessment program;

e. Participation in continuing medical education and professional development in the areas of ethics and professionalism; and

f. Undertakings not to hire patients to work at his clinic or for his private businesses, and not to offer to prescribe medication to employees. 

 

7. Rationale: The Inquiry Committee was critical of the registrant’s conduct, and his blatant disregard for his fiduciary obligation to act in the best interest of his patients, especially considering their increased vulnerability as psychiatric patients. The committee noted the conduct was contrary to College standards and determined a disciplinary outcome was appropriate.

 

Link: https://www.cpsbc.ca...-10-J-Copen.pdf

 

 

[Victoria Watcher]

NPNA on the 900-Pandora area:

 

 

https://npna.ca/wp-c...andora.-1-1.pdf

 

 

 

 

We do want to applaud the provincial government's ambitious leadership to address the housing crisis. However, we also believe that there is an overconcentration of supportive housing in this area, and we’re not alone in this belief. As we requested in a letter to BC Housing (via MLA Lore’s office) in July 2021, we would like the province and BC Housing to acknowledge that the 930 Pandora, 938 Mason Street, and 953/959 Balmoral property are all located in a compact three block area, and that these developments need to be discussed together, with an understanding of how they relate to each other.

 

We also request that BC Housing - together with the City - develop a density metric that they feel is acceptable for each neighbourhood, and the proportion of supportive housing and associated supports and services - and share this with the public. We are happy to support this new direction and hope that the City, BC Housing, VIHA, and provincial partners take into consideration the only long term planning that has been done for the Pandora corridor, which was presented to Council by the Coalition in 2019. The short, medium, and long term recommendations from this report are listed below: ● Short Term recommendations: ○ 1) Develop pilot program “Victoria On Call” modeled after the Downtown on Call program in Kelowna. Pilot is designed in collaboration with peer leaders. ○ 2) Installation of Water Bottle Refill Station. ○ 3) 24-hour accessible restrooms are installed on the 900 block maintained by street community members as a social enterprise. ○ 4) Collaborative Space Making is undertaken on the 900 block. ● Mid term recommendations: ○ 1) Declare the 900 block of Pandora Avenue a ‘Special Area’ in alignment with the Motion carried by Victoria City Council, June 13, 2019, re: Application of Equity and Affordability Policies, which “Council direct the City Manager to imbed these four principles for the city’s emerging equity policies.” ○ 2) Embed social enterprise into future development on the block by partnering with the business sector, e.g., GT Hiring Solutions, and service providers to develop a sustainable employment initiative. ● Long term recommendations: ○ Using the learnings from this community consultation process, implement a coordinated response in areas with a high demographic of community members who are underserved within the City of Victoria, and have a high number of calls to police and bylaw. We also hope that the recommendations from the April 2021 VIHA + GVCEH Health & Housing Think Tank 2021 Summary Report A Vision for Greater Victoria are implemented as well. Some of the recommendations from this report that stood out to us are as follows: ● Pg. 6: Develop a distributed model of Service Hubs (on-site or community) as best practice with wraparound services that occur collaboratively. ● Pg. 9: Locate house sites so they are: a. Dispersed throughout the capital region to create mixed communities that have diversity. ● Pg. 46: Create a collaborative partnership that integrates health and housing because housing is one of the fundamental factors contributing to the social, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health of populations. ● Pg. 51: Create a hub model of care (either onsite or community) that includes access to as many wrap around supports as possible, such as health, social, educational, etc.).

 

Decades of inequitable land use choices and uncoordinated decisions by VIHA, BC Housing, the City, and the Province have resulted in what we see today on the 900 Block of Pandora. These uncoordinated decisions have led to a disproportionate concentration of social support organizations and services targeted at the region’s most marginalized and vulnerable community members into a very dense area. The NPNA has made repeated requests to treat the 900 Block of Pandora as a special improvement area, and to undertake the thorough, long term planning process necessary to both support the individuals who spend time on the Pandora, and to transform it from a place of last resort to a dignified space. As we stated in our September 2021 letter, over the past several years, the NPNA has advocated for a community centre and childcare space in the North Park neighbourhood, and we have made several suggestions for possible locations: ● the new Crystal Pool, ● the Save on Foods Memorial Arena parking lot, ● Royal Athletic Park, ● the city-owned parking lot at 940 Caledonia These City owned properties in North Park are more central to the neighbourhood, have nearby access to existing green spaces, and are by all considerations better suited to a community centre and child care than the 900 block of Pandora.

 

The NPNA has demonstrated through our community building activities and advocacy that we are working hard to ensure that North Park is a community where individual and community wellbeing is supported. According to a presentation by the City’s EDI team, “equity is when everyone in the community has time for themselves and a sense of ease.” We share this vision for North Park and will continue to work hard to balance regional burdens that threaten to cement and institutionalize impoverishment, with the neighbourhood benefits required to support those who spend time in North Park. The North Park Neighbourhood Association looks forward to continuing to work with the City on determining a location for a neighbourhood community centre and child care that meets the needs of our diverse community. We look forward to a completed Facilities Master Plan, a re-envisioning process for use of the municipal green space at Royal Athletic Park, and an updated Local Area Plan. The NPNA is also in the process of completing a community wide Needs Assessment with a University of Victoria researcher which aims to identify what is working well, what is missing, and what is desired in North Park, and will inform our future program delivery, grant applications, and a community centre.

 

Together, these projects, in addition to a robust community consultation will inform the site selection, design, and programming of a North Park community centre. Our ideal community centre is one that is safe, accessible, and inviting to children, youth, families, and seniors. Our extensive research and community consultation identifies that an appropriate site for a community centre is one that is centrally located, in close proximity to green space, transit, and North Park Village centre, and includes a wide range of programming to support the diverse residents of North Park. Healthy communities need community hubs, and places where all community members feel welcome, safe, and included. In the coming months, the NPNA will be advocating for a neighbourhood wide community benefit agreement (CBA) between the City, BC Housing, and the neighbourhood that works to restore a balance between regional burdens and neighbourhood benefits.

 

The sheer number of supports and services that have been placed in North Park have resulted in an over concentration of these without corresponding benefit (green space, community gathering spaces, accessible regional facilities, etc). In 2020, the NPNA worked with Masters of Urban Planning Students from Queen’s University to research the ways Community Benefit Agreements could be implemented in North Park; we request that this serve as the starting point to begin this process. Recommendations and guidelines for undertaking a CBA begin on page 34 of this report.

 

Sincerely, North Park Neighbourhood Association Board

npna@npna.ca

Sarah Murray Executive director 613-888-2106

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 17 December 2021 - 05:00 PM.

[Mike K.]

A man who stabbed another to death in Vancouver has asked for no bail, so that he may stay in prison and keep away from drugs. This is quite the story.

Can anyone speak to where this hazing incident may have happened? We only have a couple of schools that offer football as a sport, no?

A heroin addict since he hit the streets of Victoria at the age of 15, Hayes asked his lawyer not to seek bail.

"His concern was that, if he were released, he would go right back to drug use," Gordon said.

"While it was a tragedy that put him in custody, he decided to try to make the best of that tragedy and attempt to finally, and I say 'finally' because he is only 24 years of age, put his drug use behind him."

According to the ruling, Hayes's biological mother was 15 or 16 when he was born. She tried to raise him, but he was placed in foster care at 13 weeks, suffering "incredible neglect in that home to the point that he must have had so little human interaction that at the age of three he could still barely speak."

He was adopted by a single mother who wrote a letter to the court that moved Gordon to tears, describing a pivotal moment when he was hazed on arrival at age 15 at a football program in an out-of-catchment school.

"The coach of the football team permitted this young man to be sexually assaulted by older teammates and, in the course of that, I guess so that he could not identify who his assailants were, his shirt was pulled over his head," Gordon said.

- https://www.cbc.ca/n...rdose-1.6284178

[Victoria Watcher]

Mt. Doug has a program. Not sure where else.

[Mike K.]

Belmont maybe?

[Victoria Watcher]

Within a fraction of a second, Speedy says he knew something was wrong. 

 

In September, the longtime drug user, who didn't want CBC to use his real name, unwittingly smoked fentanyl spiked with a benzodiazepine. 

 

He says he seized up and just managed to make it to a safe space before he lost control of his body. 

 

"For five hours, I just held on," he said.

 

Benzodiazepine, which is typically prescribed as a sedative, is dangerous when paired with an opioid like fentanyl, because the sedation increases the risk of an overdose, according to Health Canada. Withdrawal symptoms can include extreme anxiety, sweats and dangerous seizures. 

 

Worst of all, the lifesaving medication naloxone, which brings someone out of an opioid overdose, does not work on benzos.

 

Speedy, who works at the Overdose Prevention Society in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, says he's seen the combination of the drugs become a "major problem."

 

According to a report by the BC Coroners Service, "benzos" or "benzodope," as it's called in the street, is the new scourge of B.C.'s contaminated drug supply.

 

Some people are knocked out for hours or a whole day, and harm reduction sites say people passed out in a public place can be robbed or sexually assaulted while they're unconscious. 

 

 

 

https://www.cbc.ca/n...upply-1.6287634

 

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 02 January 2022 - 05:06 AM.